Fortunately, with responsible use and safe practices you
eliminate most of your risks.

Worried about taking opioids? Well, you don’t have to be,
just adhere to the following 8 guidelines from the American Academy of Pain
Medicine and you cut your risks of ever experiencing a problem substantially.

If it wasn’t prescribed to you – don’t take it! Never share
or borrow prescription medications, especially opioids.

Alcohol and opioids don’t mix. To be safe, never combine
them.

Know that anti-anxiety medications and sleeping medications
can be dangerous when combined with opioids. Don’t use the two together without
talking to your doctor first (some benzodiazepines can stay in your system for
more than a day, so the anti-anxiety pill you took yesterday could interact
with an opioid you take today.)

Don’t change your dose. Sometimes you might feel like you
need more pain relief than usual and you might feel tempted to up your dosage a
little bit. Don’t do this! Upping your doses on your own is a stepping stone on
the path to addiction.

Tell your doctor about all medications you use, including
OTC medications and herbal supplements.

Keep track of when you take your medication. Inadvertently
doubling your dose increases your risks of overdose – have a system in place to
reduce the odds of double dosing, such as always taking medications at the same
time each day, or by separating your daily meds into pill boxes that are
separate from your supply.

Lock up your medication. Medicine cabinet opioids are
tempting to teens and others. By limiting access you could save a life.

Likewise, never save unused medication.

That’s it. Follow these 8 easy guidelines and your
odds of ever having a problem plummet.

Those creepy-crawly-jumpy legs that make sleep impossible – there are few things worse than the restless legs of opiate withdrawal. Only time will solve the problem, but there are medications and home-remedy treatments that can minimize their severity. Read on to get the tips you need to get to sleep. Read Article